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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

First Look: Hot Wheels Green Racing Team Ferrari 458 Italia...

This model came as a bit of a surprise.

Just last week we profiled the Ferrari 458 Challenge that will be part of Batch G when it hits the pegs next month. There was a mixed reaction to the...shall we say...busy deco that the model is sporting. And while I would always prefer a Hot Wheels Ferrari to look more like one I would see on the road or the track, I can more than happily live with it. And it does add a bit of variety to the collection.

It wasn't a day or two later that a Lamley friend informed me on our Facebook page that he had found another HW 458 Italia in a "Hot Wheels Test Facility" DVD 4-pack at Target. Now I was intrigued, and sure enough I found the pack this weekend. The price for the 4-pack is $9.99, which is probably a bit steep for four models (3 of which have already been released) and a DVD. But $10 can't keep me away from another Ferrari.

Well I have properly released the model from its prison and given it a good look. And I have to say, if Mattel wants to create an over-the-top graffiti-filled racer, they have succeeded, and I really like it. The entire body is covered in deco, and it has full detailing on the front and rear. Plus, doing the racing wheels in black is a bonus. No red or blue wheels here.

So I am a fan. I am sure many of you will hate this version, but oh well. The only problem is it makes the basic model look a little too incomplete...

That is some artistic stuff HW did there. Very unusual on a Ferrari, but it does work. Only thing I'm against is the green windows. Was that really necessary Mattel? Would a clear or tinted glass really decrease your sales if you put that on? Seriously? Daft things like that really get on my nerve. Anyways, great job indeed!

There is/was a 1:1 race car in 2012 that featured the Team Green deco very close to what has now appeared on this 458, except it was a Porsche Cayman S in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge Sports Car Wars series GTS class driven by Jack Baldwin. It's car number was even 68! I was dearly hoping that Mattel would carry through and release a HW Cayman with this deco as my grandson got to sit in it and get some pointers on it from one of the crew at one of their races last summer, but the Ferrari is ok...I guess.

There definitely is a 458 Challenge with a livery which is almost identicalto the tampos featured on this HWTF multipack version, if you google it, you'll find it. The real one carries sponsor decals and the number 458 but the attwork is very realistic and it sports the all-black wheels seen on this version....I can't feel too sorry for you having to part with 9.99 at Target - believe me, it took a bit more than that to get this beauty over to the UK :-)